Organic Certified Loses Purity

Over the years, I have counted on the organic label for quickly identifying foods worth consideration. Legible ingredient statements with only "real" foods listed have definite appeal. Not to mention, with the high cost of organic milk and cheese, a very high percentage of organic foods are dairy-free, even when their conventional counterparts are not. Thanks to the USDA, it looks like this organic trust is about to be broken.

The USDA is allowing 60 days for comments before they add 38 inorganic ingredients to organic food.

The “minor” ingredients contained in this interim final rule are non-organic, agricultural ingredients that may be considered for use in an “organic” processed product. One of these minor ingredients cannot comprise more than 5 percent of an “organic” product. Much like the U.S. work visa laws, but with food rather than employees, companies can use any of these inorganic ingredients if they state that an organic equivalent was unavailable.

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